Saturday, January 31, 2015

The Films That I Saw: January 2015

Well, 2015 definitely got off to a very good start as I thought it was time to start anew and do some things that were very different. Especially as it came to film-watching where I wanted to slow things down more and take my time with everything. At the same time, I decided to do other things to fill in my time as I was glad to find a new TV show in Marvel’s Agent Carter which I’ve been enjoying as of late. Especially as I’ve been thinking about creating another blog just based on TV shows as I’ve reviewed TV shows in the past but it was a very different medium in comparison to films. The one show that I have been wanting to do for a long time is Twin Peaks as I’m a fan of David Lynch and I want to watch the entire series in anticipation for the show’s return in 2016.
I don’t often watch TV shows as it’s hard to get into from the start though shows like Agent Carter has managed to be a breath of fresh air for me as I wish it would get better ratings. Then there’s the world of professional wrestling as I’ve been trying to distance myself further and further away from WWE as I was glad that I didn’t watch this year’s Royal Rumble as the titular match itself was a fucking disaster. I’ve been watching Ring of Honor’s TV show where I do enjoy its emphasis on wrestling and its matches but I found its production to be a mixed bag. There’s also New Japan Pro Wrestling which is very different from everything I’ve seen as it’s been hard to get into at this point. Maybe it’s because I’ve been spoiled by American wrestling as the Japanese style feels so foreign to me. Yet, it beats having to watch bad sports entertainment programming where Vince McMahon tries to convince everyone that Roman Reigns is the next big star despite the fact that he’s got a limited move set, lack of passion for the business, and can’t talk for shit.

In the month of January, I saw a total of 41 films in 28 first-timers and 13 re-watches. Not a bad start as many of the films I saw this month were really good. The highlight of the month was definitely my Blind Spot assignment in The General as I had a blast watching this film. Here are the top 10 First-Timers that I saw for January 2015:
1. Children of Paradise

Now I enjoyed the first one due to its music and portrait of Rio de Janeiro as the second one is quite entertaining but it lacks spark and the humor doesn’t really work. At the same time, the music is really uninspiring with its unnecessary usage of the Autotune which makes it even worse. Plus, I was annoyed by a character voiced by Bruno Mars who comes off as very smug and idiotic as he tries to sing his way to impress Anne Hathaway’s character. Kids deserve much better than this shit.
The Shawn Michaels Story: Heartbreak and Triumph

I’m a fan of the Heartbreak Kid as there’s no question that Shawn Michaels is one of the greatest wrestlers ever. This documentary covers his career from the early years in the independents to 2007 at WrestleMania 23 where he would face off against John Cena for the WWE Championship. It covers everything from his days with the Rockers with Marty Jannetty, the backstage politics he was doing in the mid-90s with other wrestlers known as the Kliq, the formation of DX, his early retirement, and his return in 2002 just after he had become a Christian. It’s definitely an enjoyable watch as it showcases the man who is Mr. WrestleMania as he would reveal highs and lows while admitting that he wasn’t always the most fun guy to be with during the 1990s.
The Other Woman

This was fucking terrible. I really have no idea why it made so much money as I found no one to root for. Sure, I understand that Cameron Diaz, Leslie Mann, and Kate Upton were being played but they came across as morons. Diaz definitely tries to play the straight woman but it feels forced as it looks like she is starting to age. Mann is trying to be funny but overdoes it while Upton is just there because of her tits. It’s an unfunny film where Nikolaj Coster-Waldau is being humiliated in the worst possible way.
The Love Punch

This was a decent film about a divorced couple who get back together when they realized that their pension has been revoked as they go after the man that stole their money with the help of a couple of friends. It’s very predictable but the performances of Pierce Brosnan, Emma Thompson, Celia Imrie, and Timothy Spall were fun to watch. Especially seeing Thompson pretending to be a Texan which was a total hoot.
Blended

I do have a tendency to watch bad films as I wanted to see how much I could take. Fortunately, this film wasn’t as bad as previous films that Adam Sandler did as it’s actually watchable but it still has elements that showcase why audiences are being turned off by him. While it’s good to see him working with Drew Barrymore again, the film feels like the two are trying to create something that works but much of the humor feels forced while there’s reminders that they’ve done better films. There are moments that is quite funny such as a scene where Terry Crews and a chorus of African singers mock a young guy for losing a basketball game to a girl where the singers sing “you suck, you suck, you suck, you suck” repeatedly. There’s also this moment between Sandler and Emma Fuhrmann as one of his daughters that actually touched me as his character is a widower and Fuhrmann is one of his daughters who still couldn’t let go of her mother as she would often talk to her as if she’s invisible.
Top 10 Re-Watches:
1. The Good, the Bad, & the Ugly